How accurate was the fortune- 50 biggest mobsters?

Tony Salerno was #1 and Christie tick Furnari was #7. Were they that wealthy? Was the list innaccurate?

It was pretty much all hypothetical and based on what could be proven or surmised at the time. Tommy Gambino wasn't even on the list, probably because he had no record at the time and Forbes presumably didn't want to risk libel or legal action by including anyone who had yet to be "proven" in court as an LCN members.

Just an educated guess on my part.

Thank you. And yeah I was surprised he wasn't on there either. Neither was Anthony casso.

Here is the full list, by the way. I updated it with a "Where Are They Now?" type thing, just to see if crime actually does pay lol.

#1 Anthony "Fat Tony" Salerno (Genovese) - construction, unions, gambling, loansharking (Died in Prison, 1992)
#2 Anthony "Joe Batters" Accardo (Chicago) - gambling, unions, loansharking (Died of Natural Causes, 1992)
#3 Anthony "Tony Ducks" Corallo (Lucchese) - garbage, extortion (Died in Prison, 2000)
#4 Gerardo "Gerry" Catena (Genovese) - construction, gambling, casinos (Died of Natural Causes, 2000)
#5 Gennaro "Jerry Lang" Langella (Colombo) - construction, loansharing, gambling (Imprisoned for Natural Life)
#6 Carmine "Junior" Persico (Colombo) - construction, loansharking, gambling Imprisoned for Natural Life)
#7 Christopher "Christie Tick" Furnari (Lucchese) - construction, unions, gambling, loansharking (Imprisoned for Natural Life)
#8 Salvatore "Tom Mix" Santoro (Lucchese) - construction, unions, loansharking (Died in Prison, 2000)
#9 Philip "Rusty" Rastelli (Bonanno) - concrete, unions, loansharking, narcotics (Died of Natural Causes, 1991, Released from Prison same year for Medical Reasons)
#10 Vincent DiNapoli (Genovese) - construction, unions (Free Man)
#11 Ralph Scopo (Colombo) - construction, unions (Died in Prison, 1993)
#12 Russell Bufalino (Northeast Pennsylvania) - sweetheart contracts (Died of Natural Causes, 1994)
#13 John Gotti (Gambino) - loansharking, robbery, phonograph records (Died in Prison, 2002)
#14 Joseph "Joe Bananas" Bonanno (Bonanno) - narcotics (Died of Natural Causes, 2002)
#15 Santo "Louis Santos" Trafficante (Tampa) - gambling, loansharking, narcotics (Died of Natural Causes, 1987)
#16 Carlos "Little Man" Marcello (New Orleans) - gambling, real estate, nightclubs (Died of Natural Causes, 1993)
#17 Frank "Frankie Bal" Balistrieri (Milwaukee) - gambling, liquor, Teamsters pension fund (Died of Natural Causes, 1993, Released from Prison for Medical Reasons, 1991)
#18 Michael Franzese (Colombo) - movies, auto dealerships, bootleg gasoline ("Retired from Mob", Free Man)
#19 Vincent "The Chin" Gigante (Genovese) - unions, gambling, loansharking (Died in Prison, 2005)
#20 Joseph "Joe Negall" Ferriola (Chicago) - gambling, extortion (Died of Natural Causes, 1989)
#21 Joseph "Joey O'Brien" Aiuppa (Chicago) - gambling, casinos, unions (Died of Natural Causes, 1997, Released from Prison for Medical Reasons, 1997)
#22 Gus "Slim" Alex (Chicago) - gambling, political fixing Died in Prison, 1998)
#23 Vincent "Jimmy Blue Eyes" Alo (Genovese) - gambling, casinos, money laundering (Died of Natural Causes, 2001)
#24 Anthony "Bruno" Indelicato (Bonanno) - narcotics (Imprisoned until 2023)
#25 Michael "Mike" Genovese (Pittsburgh) - gambling (Died of Natural Causes, 2006)
#26 Joseph N. Gallo (Gambino) - pornography, real estate (Died of Natural Causes, 1995)
#27 Philip "Benny Squint" Lombardo (Genovese) - construction, gambling, loansharking (Died of Natural Causes, 1997)
#28 Raymond "Long John" Martorano (Philadelphia) - narcotics, unions, vending machines (Murdered, 2002)
#29 Anthony "Tony Pro" Provenzano (Genovese) - unions (Died in Prison, 1988)
#30 John "Jackie" Cerone (Chicago) - casinos (Died of Natural Causes, 1996, Released from Prison for Medical Reasons Same Year)
#31 James "Jimmy Nap" Napoli (Genovese) - gambling, loansharking (Died of Natural Causes, 1992)
#32 Paul Vario (Lucchese) - gambling, robbery (Died in Prison, 1988)
#33 Carl "Toughy" DeLuna (Kansas City) - gambling, casinos (Died of Natural Causes, 2008)
#34 Gennaro "Jerry" Angiulo (New England) - numbers, loansharking, money laundering (Died of Natural Causes, 2009, Realeased from Prison for Medical Reasons, 2007)
#35 Matthew "Matty the Horse" Ianniello (Genovese) - unions, topless bars, loansharking (Died of Natural Causes, 2012)
#36 James "Jimmy Brown" Failla (Gambino) - unions (Died in Prison, 1999)
#37 John Riggi (New Jersey) - construction, waterfront unions (Free Man - Just Finished 10 Year Sentence)
#38 Louis "Bobby" Manna (Genovese) - construction, gambling, loansharking) (Imprisoned for Natural Life)
#39 John "Johnny Dee" DiGilio (Genovese) - waterfront unions, gambling, loansharking (Murdered, 1988)
#40 William "Willie" Cammisano (Kansas City) - gambling, loansharking, fencing (Died of Natural Causes, 1995)
#41 Vincent "Little Vince" Meli (Detroit) - steel hauling Died of Natural Causes, 2008)
#42 Vincent "Vince" Solano (Chicago) - gambling, unions (Died of Natural Causes, 1992)
#43 Nicodemo "Nicky" Scarfo (Philadelphia) - gambling, numbers, unions (Imprisoned for Natural Life)
#44 Tino "The Greek" Fiumara (Genovese) - waterfront unions (Died of Natural Causes, 2010)
#45 Donald "Don Angel" Angelini (Chicago) - gambling (Died of Natural Causes, 2000)
#46 Peter "Pete" Milano (Los Angeles) - gambling (Died of Natural Causes, 2012)
#47 Paul "Paulie" Schiro (Chicago) - gambling (Imprisoned until 2024)
#48 Chris Petti (Chicago) - gambling (Died of Natural Causes, 2006)
#49 Angelo "Little Angie" Tuminaro (Lucchese) - narcotics (Don't know much about him except that he was involved with the French Connection, surely he must be dead by now)
#50 Frank "Fifi" Buccieri (Chicago) - loansharking (Died of Natural Causes, 2004)

Thanks for posting the list Snakes, along with the update on their current status.

I thought it was interesting that "only" 2 of the 50 were murdered. With as much back stabbing, greed and jealousy associated with the life, I would have guessed it would have been more. Most of them got locked up anyway, so I suppose the Feds got to them before their own could.

Lol @ accardo @ #2. List is a complete joke, not surprising

Absolutely no idea what schiro & petti are doing up there. Seems like They were just yanking names out of a hat there towards the end.

why would peter milano be on the list? by the time he became boss in the mid 80s the LA family was well on the way to being defunct.

I don't really have a problem with this - Accardo was extremely wealthy. As for Schiro and Petti, who knows why they decided to include them.

There were a lot of guys who, at the time, were relative unknowns to law enforcement (which I assume was a source that Forbes used to produce the list) and who in hindsight should have been listed but were not yet recognized as major players(Gravano, Casso/Amuso, etc.).

The Genovese, Lucchese, and Colombos had a lot of guys involved in the construction rackets that was achieving particular attention from the feds around this time - hence the high number of men from those families on the list. The Bonannos were not getting a lot of federal attention post-Donnie Brasco (as they had been barred from the Commission) so their roster is conversely not well represented. The hierarchy of the Gambinos had recently had a major turnover, so besides Gotti (who was already being followed by the feds - before he even became boss), they didn't really have a lot of names to include on the list.

As for Chicago, it seemed like they had a disproportionate amount on there compared to the other families - maybe they used Roemer as a source lol.

It makes for interesting reading but I really wouldn't put too much stock into the list, let alone the rankings. At any rate, when I first saw it, it made me want to learn more about some of the guys on the list, so it achieved something.

That list is horse shit although they did get Vincent Dinapoli right

They are missing a lot of Gambinos like the Doctor some more Genovese from uptown

And Luchesse like Gaspipe, Vic , maybe even Pappadio

It's basically a media list

I'd say Anguilo should be higher.

You'll notice whoever compiled that list tried to include guys from around the country, regardless of whether they should really be on that list or not.



I'm assuming Huron thinks Accardo should be #1.

By the way, Vinny DiNapoli died in 2005, if I'm not mistaken.

So that only leaves 9 of the 50 still living:

Gennaro "Jerry Lang" Langella - imprisoned for life
Carmine "Junior" Persico - imprisoned for life
Christopher "Christie Tick" Furnari - imprisoned for life
Louis "Bobby" Manna - imprisoned for life
Nicodemo "Nicky" Scarfo - imprisoned for life
Anthony "Bruno" Indelicato - imprisoned until 2023
Paul "Paulie" Schiro - imprisoned until 2024
John Riggi - recently released from 10 year prison stint
Michael Franzese - retired from the mob

DiNapoli's dead? I did not know that.

Idk if accardo was that rich to be #2 or not but he obviously had money.

And based on what some people have said I'm surprised jerry catena wasn't #1.

Vinny is dead but Louis DiNapoli is still alive and in his early 70's.

Accardo ran the Chicago Outfit for over 50 years...he was more than extremely wealthy.

Peter and Carmen Milano were from Cleveland and their Dad and uncle, Tony Milano and Frank Milano started the Cleveland Mob and the Mayfield Road Mob...They inherited a "boatload" of cash and long before Peter and Carmen took over L.A., Tony Milano had them squeezing many unions out there and had their hand in a few Hollywood Studios and some major radio stations

I like how for Joe Bonanno it says "narcotics" lolol he'd be spinning if he could see that haha

Was tony accardo wealthier than any NY mobster ever was? And should he be at the top of the list for this then?

Shouldn't Scarfo be ahead of all the Philly guys? Also Carmine Lompardozzi or whatever should be on there?

Also, pretty sure Anguilo is either right near Gotti or above him.

yes he called the shots in Chicago for 50+ years, had no other competition in Illinois and ran the rackets during Chicago's most lucrative time period. he had all unions to himself, took a nice percentage from KC, Rockford and Milwaukee and had vegas casinos and the skim money. nobody will ever be able to determine if his net worth is more than certain NY mobsters, but he was the real power in chicago, not giancana, aiuppa etc, they were figureheads to keep LE attention off of accardo.

Based on what many people on this site have said about Carmine Lombardozzi's wealth, I'm surprised he isn't on the list.